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US: Two years probation for Louisville man who aimed a laser at a police helicopter

From a June 1 2021 news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky:

A Louisville man was sentenced last week to 2 years of probation, including 8 months of home incarceration, for aiming a laser pointer at a Louisville Metro Police helicopter.

According to court documents, Manuel Martin Salazar-Leija, Jr., 26, of Louisville, aimed the beam of a laser pointer at an LMPD helicopter on September 25, 2020, during protests in the city. Lasers can blind pilots and cause the aircraft to crash, and aiming a laser at an aircraft is a federal felony offense.

In addition to 2 years of probation and 8 months of home incarceration, United States District Court Judge David Hale ordered Salazar-Leija, Jr., to pay a $2,500 fine and the costs of his home incarceration.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Weiser prosecuted the case.

Additional details come from news reports:

The helicopter was doing surveillance after a burglary when it was illuminated by the laser beam. The pilots were temporarily blinded. Salazar-Leija admitted intentionally aiming the laser at the aircraft.

In 2020, there were 181 pilot reports of laser illuminations in Kentucky, 73 of which occurred in Louisville.

Manuel Martin Salazar-Leija Jr laser Louisville
Manuel Martin Salazar-Leija, Jr.


From WHAS11 and WLKY